Tearooms under refurbishment at family-run Northants venue, following ‘popular demand’ for expansion

The tearooms at a family-run Northamptonshire venue are currently under refurbishment, following the “popular demand” for an expansion.

The Plough at Shutlanger, located in Main Road, Towcester, has been run by Jim and Jessie Kay for the past nine years – having recently hit their latest milestone.

When asked to describe the venue, Jessie said: “We’re a really intricate, family-run restaurant. We serve the freshest and best food we can.”

The restaurant is now home to lots of different areas under one roof, which have continued to expand over the past decade at the “jovial” venue.

Having once been known as a gastropub, Jessie and Jim have moved away from that label as they are so much more than just a pub.

The building has always had a barn since the owners took over, and they put their plan into action to turn it into a community shop before the pandemic set in.

As they wanted to provide something locals wanted and needed, they decided to “pursue their dream” and turn the barn into a shop.

“The demand for it dwindled,” said Jessie. “But sales for coffee and cake were up. We also started offering breakfasts.

“The demand for people visiting us for breakfast was overwhelming, so we opened our tearooms before deciding to expand the whole downstairs.”

Though the shop served its purpose at a time when it was needed, Jessie stressed the importance of “rolling with the times”.

As many people were being seated in the restaurant as there was not enough space in the existing tearooms, the expansion was the logical next step.

Putting Jessie’s background in architecture and design to good use, the pair closed that area on September 5 and hope to reopen it in around two weeks from now.

Since the owners took over, they have given the venue a spruce up each January.

“We’ve put so much effort into making it nice,” said Jessie. “We don’t want to rush this refurbishment by setting deadlines. We want to take our time and do it properly.”

They are currently waiting on new furniture, to create a “chilled” space that visitors can use for a variety of things – like using the internet to work or study, having a coffee and slice of cake, or eating breakfast.

Jessie said: “They can stay all day if they want to. We’ll welcome anyone.”

The aim is to instil a “community vibe” and make the space “more accessible” to all.

There will also be a soft play area for children to use, and mum and baby groups will be welcomed to The Plough moving forward.

When asked what makes The Plough different from other venues across the county, Jessie said: “We all come into work everyday and love what we do – and that shines through in everything at the restaurant.

“The whole team loves serving people and creating beautiful dishes. We hope we give off an aura of positive vibes.”

The Plough continues to be impacted by nearby roadworks, described by Jessie as “crippling”, and they urge customers to continue visiting at what proves to be a difficult time.

For more information on The Plough at Shutlanger, visit their Facebook page here.